


Lullabyes and Love Songs

by Always_Worth_It



Category: Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, The Avengers (2012), The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, F/M, Fluff, Superfamily, Team as Family, alwaysagirl!tony
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-22
Updated: 2013-01-22
Packaged: 2017-11-26 10:11:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/649462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Always_Worth_It/pseuds/Always_Worth_It
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve and Toni share a quiet moment with their son.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lullabyes and Love Songs

Steve looked around the ballroom quickly, trying to spot his wife in the crowd of black-tie guests. He couldn’t catch a glimpse of her sparkling red dress anywhere, finding only tuxedos and conservatively-colored gowns. It was unlike her not to be easily spotted at these events, especially since this one was hosted in the ballroom of the mansion they called home. He had last seen her near the entrance to the room, engaged in conversation with an elderly couple who were now swaying sweetly at the edge of the dance floor.

 

He made his way toward the door, thinking perhaps he could spot her next location from her last known one. A waiter with a platter of champagne glasses approached him as he reached the entrance to the ballroom.

 

“Excuse me, Captain Rogers, are you looking for your wife?”

 

Steve smiled at the young man. “Yes, I am. Any idea where she went?”

 

The waiter nodded. “She’s currently in the residential wing on the third floor,” he said, turning his head so Steve could see the concealed earpiece he wore. Ah. SHIELD had sent agents as security and undercover staff again. Fury seemed to have a real soft spot for Stark Mansion parties, these days.

 

Steve nodded and thanked the man before slipping out of the ballroom. The third floor was their personal residence, while the other Avengers lived on the first and second floors. He had a feeling he knew which room she was visiting.

 

Sure enough, he saw from the top of the stairs that the door to Peter’s room was cracked open.

 

In the soft blue glow of the baby’s night light through the crack, Steve made out the silhouette of his wife’s gowned figure. Toni was leaning gingerly on the edge of the mahogany crib, so only her dark waves of hair and the shimmering red satin of her gown, underlaid with muted gold tulle, were visible. He could faintly hear her singing a lullabye that sounded vaguely familiar. He pushed the door open further and took carefully loud steps toward her, so as not to startle her.

 

“Hi, Toni,” he whispered, wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his head on her shoulder.

 

She nestled back into the warmth of his broad chest and hummed softly in greeting.

 

“Look at him, Steve,” she murmured, eyes never leaving the baby. “We made him,” she said, awe clear in her voice. He looked down into the crib, where his infant son slept gracefully in his sky-blue dinosaur pajamas, one arm flung out to the side while the other hand was curled up beside his face. He was illuminated only by the nightlight and the sliver of Toni’s arc reactor that shone out from the scooped, ruffled neckline of her dress.

 

“Yes we did,” he agreed, brushing back her hair to tenderly kiss her neck. “He’s beautiful. You’re beautiful. I have a very beautiful family.” Toni hummed again, but showed no sign of having really heard him. 

 

He waited a few minutes before he spoke again. “So what is my beautiful wife doing holed away instead of attending her own party?” he asked gently.

 

Toni jolted slightly and spared him a quick glance before her eyes snapped back to Peter’s sleeping form. “I just...” She drifted off mid-thought and took a deep, steadying breath. “I couldn’t stop thinking about him, up here all alone. I know we’ve got agents down the hall and JARVIS on monitor duty, but I didn’t want to leave him. He’s my son.”

 

Steve stepped to her side and spun her partially to face him, letting her still keep an eye on the baby. He cupped a hand on her jaw and gently rubbed his thumb over her cheekbone. “I know, Toni. This is your first real public appearance since he was born. You’ve never really been apart before. Of course he’s on your mind.”

 

Toni relaxed against him, head on his shoulder but eyes still fixed on Peter. Her arms came up circle his neck. “He’s so small and defenseless,” she whispered. “And all I want to do is stay here and protect him. How can it be possible to love someone so much just for existing?”

 

Steve wanted to chuckle or respond, but he didn’t know what to say. He felt the same way, like his life was only meaningful for the first time now that this small boy was in it. His son was hardly a few months old, yet Steve felt as if he couldn’t remember life before him, without him as the center of his universe.

 

“I don’t know,” he finally admitted. “But I understand what you mean.” 

 

Toni finally locked eyes with him. He could read relief and gratitude in her intense gaze.

 

Finally he understood why she had escaped the party to come upstairs. She missed Peter, yes, but she was also hurt by all the guests asking after him without any understanding of how sensitive the subject was to her. No one else realized how much it was killing her to be apart from their son, and she couldn’t handle the constant reminders of the separation without seeing him again, safe and happy. She had been seeking her son, but also validation of her feelings. She wanted to protect him, but also to be told that her confusion and attachment were normal.

 

Steve, as the other new parent around, could actually understand.

 

She leaned in to kiss him softly. His arms dropped down to gently rest on her waist. Motherhood had been very good to Toni, leaving her body curvier and her facial expressions less guarded. Steve had loved her for years, but he was sure he loved her in this moment more than ever before. He kissed her tenderly, not pressing for a passionate embrace, but enjoying the unique intimacy of this stolen moment watching their baby sleep. He pulled back reluctantly, resting his forehead against hers.

 

“I love you so much,” he murmured. “And I love Peter and our whole extended quirky, dysfunctional family. And they love him.” Toni’s gaze dropped for a moment. Steve knew she was hung up on old insecurities about her importance to others. He started speaking again before she froze entirely and wouldn’t hear his full thought. “ _And_ they love us,” he continued. “Both of us.”

 

She looked him dead in the eye again, searching for the honesty she knew she would always find in Steve’s words.

 

“Our family, all of them, would do anything for us or for our baby. You know that, right? You never need to worry about him. He’s got us as parents. Together, we can do anything. We’ve saved the world enough times to prove it. But if anything ever happens to us, or if we can’t be what he needs, the rest of them are here. They’ll make sure he’s taken care of. Safe. Happy.”

 

Toni closed her eyes tightly. Steve could see a hint of tears beading at her lash line. He kissed her forehead, then her nose, then her lips.

 

“Right now he’s sleeping. He’s not in any danger, and he’s not upset. We’ve done our job. Now let me do my job and make sure you’re happy, too. Come back to the party and let’s go brag about our perfect son.”

 

Toni gave a small smile and nodded. “Alright. But only for another hour. I don’t care how late the party goes, I’m coming back for his next feeding and then good luck getting me to leave again  until morning.”

 

Steve grinned. “Are you kidding? Half hour, tops. We’ll talk a little, then we’ll dance, and then we’ll come up and stay with him.”

 

“You got it, Cap.”

 

They quietly crept from Peter’s room and closed the door behind them with a soft click. He took her hand as he led her back to the ballroom where the party was still in full swing. They ended up talking for all of two minutes before the song from their first dance at their wedding came on. They made their way to the dance floor, spinning and swaying in time. 

 

“I’m glad I learned how to dance and found the right partner,” he whispered in her ear.

 

“Agreed. What do you say we call it a night after this one, huh? I think it’s time for us to head on back upstairs. Bedtime.”

 

He knew she was still just itching to return to Peter’s side.

 

“Tired already?” he teased.

 

She nodded and rested her head on his shoulder. “Love songs make the best lullabyes, after all,” she explained. “Definitely time for another lullabye.”


End file.
